The Way NH3 Used To Be

One of the most widely used fertilizers, ammonia (NH3) has been traditionally applied in the fall when the weather is more likely to be favorable and producers are not facing the pressure of spring planting. The methods of application varied, but with low fertilizer prices producers tended to select the easiest and least expensive application option.

Traditional NH3 application has been to
pull a knife through the ground, leaving
a field heavily disturbed and needing
additional work before planting.
 

Because NH3 was (and remains) a relatively inexpensive form of nitrogen, producers tended to apply liberally—an insurance policy against unpredictable distribution due to equipment shortcomings and fertilizer loss over the winter.

Residue disturbance caused by heavy equipment has been an additional drawback. A study completed by Iowa State University, based on NH3 application equipment typical of the time, found that as much as 50 percent of the soybean residue cover and as much as 40 percent of corn residue was destroyed after application equipment passed through the field.<sup>1

  1</sup>http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/1999/nov99/nov9903.html

The loss of this residue in the fall meant that fields were exposed to erosive wind and water for several months. This much disturbance and potential for erosion meant a fall NH3 application virtually robbed that field of a place in the no-till category.

A New Look at NH3 Application Tools

Today, as fuel costs and fertilizer prices—NH3 included—continue to skyrocket, growers are scrutinizing every input dollar and searching for ways to keep costs down. NH3 remains the least expensive form of nitrogen, and no-till farmers are seeking application tools that effectively apply ammonia and still maintain the no-till environment. Effective use of every drop of ammonia is the goal.

In Kansas, wheat farmers get good results from injection systems consisting of a single disc opener followed by a thin knife. No-till corn growers are searching for similar setups that can replicate those results in fields with tougher conditions, wider row spacing, and crops that require a higher volume of NH3.

Manufacturers are developing units that cause less soil disturbance than older versions— a challenge because less soil disturbance usually means more sealing challenges. New advancements in coulter technology have resulted in coulters that do not use traditional knives. Instead these units are running a coulter blade on an angle while keeping the fertilizer distribution tubes inside the shadow of the blade. This creates a very narrow application zone. The angled coulters cause less disturbance and require less horsepower to operate, allowing growers to cover more acres in a shorter amount of time.

Accuracy in metering is also a goal for new NH3 application tools. This has been a challenge in the past because the gaseous nature of the chemical—it has a low boiling point—results in both gas and liquid being applied to the soil. However, only the liquid NH3 could be measured by most metering devices. New delivery systems meter each row more accurately, leaving producers confident that they have applied the intended amount of fertilizer in the correct location.

Some applicator systems now include super-coolers to keep the NH3 in a liquid form. Others incorporate pumping systems to keep the NH3 under pressure. Either method insures more accurate metering and leaves a higher portion of the NH3 in liquid form when it reaches the soil. A higher percentage of liquid ammonia means much more accurate metering and application, making the fertilizer investment more productive.

New NH3 wagons have increased
capacity while lowering compaction.